August 9, 2004

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Joining us now is the Republican candidate for Senate in Illinois. Alan Keyes is with us. Ambassador, how are you?

ALAN KEYES: I'm fine. How are you?

HANNITY: Well, your life's not boring, is it?

KEYES: Well, I guess not. I must say, the turn of events over the last week is just about the most dramatic I've ever experienced in life. So, you certainly could say that right now.

HANNITY: All right. You, now, two-time presidential hopeful yourself; you've entered the Illinois Senate race. And there's what? 85 days to go. You're going to face off against Barack Obama. And you know you have an uphill battle.

KEYES: Absolutely. An uphill battle in a shortened time frame, in terms of American politics, of course. Also, I think, suffering under the real and distinct disadvantage that I am entering a race in a state that has not been my home, but in which the Republican Party and the grassroots people felt that I could, with my background and the capabilities that I can offer, that I could be of help in making sure that the people of this state had a real choice, that there was an effective Republican campaign that had a promise of victory against somebody who, in fact, represents extremist liberal views, especially on the deepest issues of national moral principle. And so I think they just wanted to make sure that there was not only going to be a choice, but an effective choice, and a campaign that would offer a real fight, that promised victory, provided, of course, that people in the party and at the grassroots will get out and work, and respond, to somebody who is raising a standard that reflects their hearts and their values.

HANNITY: Now, Barack Obama, I understand, has been campaigning as a "centrist" or "moderate," but I also understand -- and this has been coming to light -- that in his past he has said many inflammatory things, and is pretty hard core left. Are you going to make this a big part of the campaign?

KEYES: Well, I think first of all it is inevitable, of course, that the things that he has done and stood for, in terms of his public acts and political acts -- that's going to be a subject of discussion. In the first instance, it was an important aspect of my own decision to accept the challenge from the Illinois Republican Party, and come in and help out. I think that the important thing for me was that this is somebody who rejects the basic national principles of our life. He is not only somebody who embraces the pro-choice position on abortion, for instance, which is already at odds with the Declaration principle that we are all created equal, and endowed with the right to life. He is somebody who has carried it to such an extreme that he actually stood by and would allow infants who are born alive -- as a result of a botched abortion procedure -- he would allow them to be put aside like garbage, and let them die.

To me, that was deeply shocking. Because it suggests a pretty hardened view with respect to one's total indifference to the deep issue of moral principle that's involved in just throwing aside the right to life. And that's one of the things that arrested my attention, led me to go from saying, "No, I'm not even going to think about this," to a willingness to sit down and take a close look in response to the folks who approached me from Illinois.

Because it wasn't a decision I took easily. I am not somebody who approves of this whole business of what they call "carpetbagging." I said so in the case of Hilary Clinton, for instance. And I think if you are just using a state as a platform for personal ambition, and you are doing so without regard for the importance of the integrity of real representation in the state, then that's a problem. And I said so.

But in the case here, where the principles of the nation are involved, I think, even Lincoln felt that you had to limit your respect for state sovereignty in order to defend those national principles. And in this case we need to make sure that somebody who actually has abandoned them does not step into the U.S. Senate representing the state of Lincoln, the man who, after all, led us through a war in which we sacrificed much in order to make sure that the Union would remain solid on the principles of the Declaration.

HANNITY: Well, you know that's going to probably be difficult, because you are a Maryland resident, you are going to buy a place in Illinois, as I understand it, and you even were quoted in one of the articles this morning saying you are going to spend a good deal of your time listening to the people in the state, you may not know the streets yet, or the neighborhoods, and all the things that go to make up everyday life of the people, but you hope that the people give you a fair and open shot . . .

KEYES: I didn't say that. But I do know their hearts, and their conscience, and their spirit -- that's what I said. Because I think the hearts and conscience and spirit of the people of Illinois - and I have worked with them, on the deep issues of moral principle, pro-life issues, issues like traditional marriage, and so forth. And I know the deep commitment, because we have a lot of good supporters here who worked with me during my presidential campaign, and who were part of the groundswell that led to the offer that I should come into the state and help out.

So that's what I said, and I think that it is not a question of just abstractly offering something. I think there is a real correspondence between the things that I have fought for all my political life, and the things in which many Illinoisans believe.

HANNITY: Do you think it was the right thing to do -- Jack Ryan withdrew from the race amid these embarrassing sex club allegations that were in his divorce records. He didn't want these records made public. His ex-wife didn't want them made public. Obviously it doesn't help his children that these things were made public. Do you think it was wrong of that newspaper to sue to have these things disclosed?

KEYES: Well, you know, newspapers are going to do what they do, without regard for people, very often, in order to try to pursue a story. And do I think that that callous disregard for the real interests -- even, in this case, of a child -- is a good thing? Of course not.

I also don't think that the judge's decision made any sense. Because he actually, as I was told, had someone go in who had special qualifications, who would be a kind of independent individual, to look at the question of whether this would adversely affect the interest of the child. That person, whom the judge himself had appointed, said that it would adversely affect the interests of the child. And he then went ahead and did it anyway. Isn't that amazing?

KEYES: So, of course, Sean, I think that this was not a decision that was based, in fact, on a real consideration of the family, of the child, or the other things that ought to be at stake when you are dealing with family court issues. Perhaps -- perhaps -- it was more influenced by other considerations.

HANNITY: All right. Mr. Obama has more than ten million dollars. Of course everybody now knows him from the keynote address he delivered at the Democratic National Convention. And you still have some past debts from two presidential bids. How do you raise enough money to be able to compete?

KEYES: First of all, I think the 1996 campaign has been closed out. As you know, after a federal campaign you go back and forth as they go through the various records and so forth. There are disputed this'es and that's. I don't know all of the vast array of details. But that is a separate issue from this Senate campaign, which will raise money on its own bottom. It has nothing to do with that. And people will come in support of this campaign, I think, from Illinois, because the state leaders have made a commitment to a maximum effort to raise funds for the campaign, and also, of course, from a national base around the country.

I always have to correct something. I find it interesting that people always say, "He has ten million dollars." No, he has raised ten million, of which he has spent, also, millions. And as I understand it he may have somewhere between three and four left. So he doesn't have ten million dollars, Sean. And I think that gives a false impression . . .

HANNITY: Okay. That's important.

KEYES: . . . of the state of play as I enter the race.

HANNITY: For the record, I think you would be a great Senator. I'd love to see Alan Keyes in the United States Senate. So I'm . . .

KEYES: No, I'm just correcting through you. There's no reason why you would be aware of that. I'm just correcting the . . .

HANNITY: No, I understand. I understand that.

Well, I just think it's very hard for somebody to get in with 85 days to go, and however many millions they have, it puts you at a big disadvantage, I think. And I think it's hard. But anyway, we're going to continue this tonight on TV. Alan Keyes will be with us. And I'm going to talk tonight about what you plan to do in terms of getting Barack Obama to debate you. And so we'll see Alan Keyes on TV tonight. We wish you the best in this campaign.

KEYES: He committed to debates. He said he wanted six Lincoln-Douglas style debates. Now I understand -- I learned it this morning; I haven't verified it -- that he's now trying to weasel out of a couple of them, because . . . well, you speculate yourself, Sean, as to why he might be trying to get out of a couple of them.

HANNITY: I don't know if I'd want to debate you. People will see you with Colmes tonight, and it's just brutal. But anyway, we love having you on. Thank you so much. And we'll see Alan Keyes on Hannity and Colmes tonight.